In this Issue
From the Deputy
Exciting News for Our School Community
Exciting News for Our School Community
What a moment for our town! We are very grateful to the Orange City Council for their ongoing support of our growing school and their commitment to seeing us connected to the township of Orange. It was with much fanfare that Rev Stringer, assisted by Mr Phil Donato MP, officially commissioned the footpath for use. Since Monday more and more students, staff and parents have been using the pedestrian access with our newly installed bike racks already full to overflowing. With the fitness and wellbeing benefits associated with exercise, as well as the immediate reduction in traffic to and from the school, the long-awaited ability to walk/ride/scooter or skate to school provides so many benefits to our school and local community. With 7 News onsite to cover the moment, and the entire school filling the banks of Trinity oval it was yet another milestone moment in the ongoing growth and establishment of Orange Anglican Grammar School.
As someone who spent endless hours as a road cyclist in my younger years I am intimately aware of the inherent dangers of sharing the road with motorists. Indeed, just last Friday Dr Steve Peterson spoke at our Chapel service with regards to how his life has been forever changed after being struck by a car when cycling on a road. Steve has been instrumental in helping us see the completion of the footpath and we are very grateful to him for his time spent serving our community to enable safe cycle and foot access to the school grounds. I am mindful that many students and parents may not be aware that there is an underpass in place underneath the northern distributor only 150m west of the roundabout. Path users are strongly encouraged to avoid crossing the distributor at the roundabout and instead use the underpass. This underpass enables all users to safely cross under the distributor without ever having to navigate gaps between traffic. Parents are encouraged to do a reconnaissance ride/walk with their children prior to their first solo-trip to school. Please see the diagram below that locates the underpass for you.
I look forward to seeing you and your families using the footpath in the weeks and months to come. Happy weekend all.
Pastoral Care
Pastoral Care and Leadership Initiatives
Pastoral Care and Leadership Initiatives
As we work towards the end of 2024, I would like to thank the Pastoral Care Team for all they have done to build relationships and support our school’s families this year. Pastoral Care Coordinators are well supported and directed by the experience and wisdom of Mrs Wallace, Mrs Taylor and Mr Esson (who as a chaplain, does much to support families in our community).
I would also like to draw attention to several initiatives and experiences the team have driven this term.
Mrs Nealon took our new leadership team to the GRIP Leadership Conference in Dubbo. The students learnt valuable leadership skills such as time management, the responsibilities of a student leader, and creating great school events, as well as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The students reported that it was a valuable experience and returned to school with lots of great thoughts for the year ahead.
Mrs Kimmins took a large group of our senior students to the Anti-Bullying Summit in Orange. They shared their experiences, and as a result, at the beginning of next year we will facilitate a meeting between the Secondary SRC and new Primary leaders to talk through the initiatives they’d like to implement in our school in 2025.
Mrs Wallace facilitates the SCR meetings and was greatly encouraged by the enthusiasm and organisation of our new Year 12 students at their first meeting earlier this week.
Miss Botta has organised a Crazy Hair Day for next Thursday 28th November . We have members of our community who have been recently, as well as historically, been impacted by cancer. Many of our Secondary students were keen to organise a school fundraiser to support cancer research. Please read the email regarding the day.
Finally, please see our previous communications regarding our service projects in Secondary. We’d love more donations for the local food drive and Share the Dignity bags. We are all grateful to those who have been able to donate so far. Our students are looking forward to sorting the donations for delivery in Week 8.
We have so much to celebrate, be grateful for and work towards at Orange Anglican Grammar School. However, as we finish the year and students, teachers and parents find themselves busy, tired and overwhelmed, can we please ask that everyone takes a few moments to regularly check in with their child, listen to any of their concerns, and ask them what they are looking forward to next year? We want to finish the year well, so we are trying to remind our students of our school rules and expectations, so we can all be safe and feel welcome and secure at OAGS. We would appreciate every family’s support in encouraging their child to be respectful in class, bring their hat each day this term and meet our school’s expectations regarding uniform. Your support is valuable and greatly appreciated.
Georgian Willis
Director of Pastoral Care
Prep
7 Habits of Happy Kids
7 Habits of Happy Kids
Leader In Me
In Term 4, we have been reviewing all of our 7 Habits that we have been learning about this year to see how they all link together to help us be more effective learners, friends, and members of our communities. We have explored how not only people but animals follow some of our 7 Habits to help them survive and flourish in their environments. By looking at how animals follow the 7 Habits, we reinforce the importance of healthy relationships and work-life balance to be happy and healthy kids.
Habit 1: Be Proactive – I’m in Charge of Me
I am a leader. I am in charge of me, my actions, and my words. To be proactive means following our 5 classroom agreements so we can learn better and so can our classmates. We can help in our community by noticing something needs to be done and doing it, even if we aren’t asked, for example, cleaning up or helping a friend.
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind – Have a Plan
Snowflake making can be tricky if you don’t know how. So first, we made a plan, collected our materials, and watched a demonstration so everyone could learn how to make their own snowflakes. They looked amazing. Making a plan helps us achieve our goals and stay focused.
Habit 3: Put First Things First – Work First, Then Play
We looked at how even playful otters have to Put First Things First. They must work first by creating shelter and hunting food before they can enjoy play, even foregoing play when there is too much work to be done or when food is scarce.
Habit 4: Think Win-Win – I win, you win, everyone wins
We discovered that Egyptian crocodiles and plovers even have a win-win relationship, despite them seeming to be natural predator and prey. The plover helps to keep the crocodile’s teeth healthy by picking the meat out of their teeth. In return, the plover gets a free feed without the fear of being eaten.
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
Meerkats are a great example of learning to listen and understand how slight differences in sounds can have different meanings of safety and danger. They must learn to be great communicators to survive. This reinforces the importance for us to listen to what is being said, not assuming we know what a person is expecting.
We also explored why it is important to recognise that everyone is different and can have different perspectives and points of view due to their communities, cultures, and languages. We need to acknowledge and understand that our differences make us unique and special and that we are all amazing because of our diversity.
Habit 6: Synergize – Together is Better
People/trees, bees/flowers, clownfish/anemones, and many more animals synergise through symbiotic relationships to help them all have better outcomes. We looked at synergising with our classmates through playing games and learning to participate together so that we all enjoyed the experience. We remember that TEAM means
Together Everyone Achieves More
.
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw – Balance is Best
We need to look after our mind, body, heart, and spirit to maintain a balanced life and be healthy and happy. We explored ways to recharge our energy levels and ensure we balance work, relaxation, and hobbies while recognising and managing our emotions. A balanced life is a happy and healthy life.
Mrs Helen Gersbach
Teacher Aide
Primary School
Transition Morning - Friday 27th November, 2025
Transition Morning - Friday 27th November, 2025
As we draw near to the end of 2024, we have been considering ways to provide a smooth transition for our students into the 2025 school year.
On Friday 27th November, Primary School will be holding its first Transition Morning from 9.30 - 11.00am. Students from Kindergarten - Year 5 will spend the morning in their 2025 classroom, with their 2025 class and teachers. The aim of the morning is to provide students with the opportunity to become familiar with their new classroom, peers and teachers, allowing them to head into the holidays with an understanding of what 2025 will look like. We hope that through Transition Morning, students will spend the holidays getting excited for a wonderful 2025. Prep students will remain in their classroom, alternate activities will be arranged for Year 6 and students who are moving schools will still be invited to participate in Transition Morning.
All teachers in the Primary School at Orange Anglican Grammar School are experts in their field and create wonderful learning environments for their students. A great deal of time and care is placed into the allocation of students and teachers to create balanced classes, where all students have a friend. Please note that we are unable to accommodate parent requests for class allocations for their children. Except in extenuating circumstances that are beyond our control where some revision may be required, the class lists and teacher allocations are set.
Alice Glyde
Director of Primary School
Summer Reading Inspiration
Summer Reading Inspiration
This year, the Year 4 students have spent an incredible amount of time immersed in books. Students began each day with at least 10 minutes of silent reading, which adds up to more than 32 hours of reading in class alone. That’s 1,920 minutes spent exploring new worlds, meeting fascinating characters and learning more about the world around them.
Reading every day has not only helped to build strong literacy skills but also fostered a love of stories and curiosity about topics that interest them. Each student chose their favourite book from the year and wrote a review to share why it stood out to them.
Here is a selection of students’ book reviews. Perhaps you might find inspiration for your next book. Happy reading!
Mrs Allie Downie
Year 4 Teacher
What! That news can’t be real!
What! That news can’t be real!
This term, Year 6 has been studying newspaper reports in English, in particular, what we call fake news.
In lessons, students have been exploring different techniques that journalists might use to make a text seem exciting and believable. These techniques include catchy headlines, persuasive and descriptive language, as well as first-hand interviews with ‘experts’. Year 6 students have been working really hard in class to use these things to analyse and determine the real from the fake.
To finish the unit, students created their own TV news programmes called OAGS: This Week, Today. They had a great time writing and recording both fake and real news stories about our school. Why don’t you ask one of our students to see their report?
Tim Herbert
Year 6 Marlins Teacher
Secondary School
Discovery Day
Discovery Day
As the year draws to a close, with exams, assessments, and teaching programs behind us, it's easy to let focus wane in those last few days of school. But this year, we're shaking things up! Introducing Discovery Days —a fresh, fun, and meaningful way to end the year, designed to keep you engaged and inspired.
On Monday and Tuesday of Week 8 , the regular timetable will pause, and in its place, two special days of electives and activities will take centre stage.
Day 1: Elective Extravaganza
On Monday, students will dive into two exciting electives—each lasting 2.5 hours, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. These electives are brand new and some are just 100% fun whilst others are designed to develop new skills or abilities while having fun at the same time. From creative arts and hands-on projects to sports and technology-based activities, there’s something for everyone!
On this day students will wear their OAGS sports uniform and hat.
Day 2: Service and Adventure
Tuesday kicks off with a powerful start as you engage in service learning , giving back to others in meaningful ways.
Afterward, from 11 a.m. onward , the day changes with a variety of offsite and onsite activities to choose from. Offsite Options cost $20 per person and includes things like: Pickle Ball : Fast-paced, fun, and great for all skill levels; Dragon Boating : Work together as a team on the water; Fishing : Relax by the water; Tenpin Bowling : Strike out the stress of the year; and Futsal and Dodgeball , just to name a few of the options.
For those who would prefer to say onsite with a cost free option students can select to play games at school
We’re so excited to see our students take part in this revamped end-of-year experience. Whether they’re learning, leading, or laughing with friends, Discovery Days are designed to leave a lasting impression and remind them of the joy of community and exploration.
Mr Tim Brown
Director of Secondary
Faith at OAGS
Adventures in Faith
Adventures in Faith
This month, Primary school hosted the first CRU Afternoon “Adventures in Faith”. Through challenges, team building activities, songs and discussions we explored the Fruit of the Spirit . Each activity explored qualities in love, patience, joy, gentleness and self-control to help students understand what it means to be part of Team Jesus. Our team was greatly encouraged by the turnout of students and how students of various ages came alongside each other in support and love, demonstrating the values of our school and faith. The students' enthusiasm and love for each other has motivated us to bring more events like this in our coming year. Watch this space.
Mr Jonathan Bowtell, Primary Chaplain
CAPA
OAGS On Stage
OAGS On Stage
"We captured countless incredible moments of talent and creativity during our CAPA on Stage event on October 29th. Today, we’re excited to share even more photos that highlight the vibrant performances and the remarkable talents of our students."
ACE
Who let the Bugs Out!
Who let the Bugs Out!
Mr Palmer and the whales did! After a very successful captive breeding program of lacewings in class, Mr Palmer and his dynamic team of Year 1 budding entomologists (that’s a person who studies insects), came along to release their budding lacewing populations. You can see the action on the Orange Anglican Grammar ACE Academy facebook page as Year 1 and Year 10 discuss the importance of healthy populations on beneficial insects and how OAGS are doing their bit to reduce the use of chemicals in the environment.
Beautiful OAGS Lamb
Beautiful OAGS Lamb
There is a limited amount of the famous OAGS lamb available for purchase as processed lamb. The lamb will be available for pickup before Christmas. If you would like to order a half $200 or whole lamb $400 (broken into chops, roasts, racks and cutlets) please email Mrs Eyb sarah.eyb@oags.nsw.edu.au to arrange your order. The meat is approximately 23 kilograms per whole animal and the quality is absolutely top notch.
Senior Ag Tour
Senior Ag Tour
The Senior Agriculture tour was a great success last week with the students visiting some of Australia’s leading producers with a key focus on sustainable food and fibre production. One of the last stops on the tour was the DPI Research Station at Cowra. Here the students met with principal plant researcher Matthew Newell to view the plant breeding facilities and paddock trials developing new crop varieties. Climate change is a huge challenge and ruminant animals (more than one stomach) such as sheep and cattle are responsible for 80 percent of agricultural methane emissions. This is a key focus of current research which is investigating diet modification to reduce emissions. Mr Newell was able to explain the work being done on sainfoin (a legume) that not only reduces the risk of bloat in ruminant animals, but also (as part of its chemical structure), reduces the amount of methane produced when grazed in a mixed pasture.
Planting these mixed species will not only increase biodiversity but also improve climate change outcomes.
A key focus on genetic selection for methane emissions on grazing pastures at the Blu E cattle stud as a research project with the University of Sydney consolidated the proactive role beef producers are playing in controlling the impact of animal based emissions on climate change.
At the Blantyre farm piggery, students were able to tour not only the 20,000 animal piggery, but also the biogas power plant that supplies all the electricity for the piggery but also powers thousands of local houses. The power plant uses a covered anaerobic pond where all the pig waste is flushed and breaks down. The gas from this is captured and drives two generators to produce electricity. The chemical reaction changes the methane (Global Warming Potential of 25) to Carbon Dioxide with a GWP of 1.
Sport
Rugby Union is Coming to Our Primary School in 2025!
Rugby Union is Coming to Our Primary School in 2025!
We are thrilled to announce the introduction of Rugby Union in our Primary School through the Central West Junior Rugby Union Competition in 2025.
The Central West Juniors competition offers a fantastic opportunity for children aged 6, 8, and 10 to participate in Walla Rugby , a non-tackling version of the game (grab and hold). This format provides a safe and supportive environment for players to learn the game, develop teamwork, and enhance their skills without the physicality of traditional Rugby.
Inclusive and Co-Ed Teams
Central West Juniors supports co-ed teams (boys and girls) up to the U14 age group, promoting equal opportunities for all. This inclusive approach fosters friendships, team spirit, and the school values we hold dear.
Competition Schedule
Walla Rugby games are held on Sunday mornings , involving teams from towns such as Orange, Millthorpe, Bathurst, Blayney, Cowra, Parkes, Forbes, Wellington, Dubbo, and Mudgee.
Last week at Primary Assembly 55 letters to potential players in Stage 1 and 2 were given out.
Can you check with your child to determine if they were one of these? We require the signed letter to be returned to school by the close of the year, presenting your permission.
Minimum numbers required per age group of U6, U8 and U10 is 10 students (girls and boys).
Peter. F. Reid
Rocky Trails Academy Mountain Bike Race
Rocky Trails Academy Mountain Bike Race
Starting off November with a BANG, 21 of our OAGs students took part in the last of the Rocky Trails Academy events of the year. With over 100 students racing for the day from 23 schools, we were very thankful for the representation that our students displayed on the day.
Overall OAGs finished tied second with Orange High after a day of fantastic group results.
Some of the outstanding individual results were:
Abigail Gillies - 1st place (for the second year in a row!) and Lucy Jurd for her amazing debut MTB race!
Flynn Cook - Racing in the Secondary category and holding his own with lots of laps!
Our whole junior boys group finished 6th-30th in a big category!
Our middle school boys who finished 8th - 24th in the largest field of racers
Mitch and Will for holding the fort in the seniors category finishing 6th and 8th in a very competitive field.
A very big thank you to all the parents and carers who helped our students out and back for the day, and who even marshalled on the tracks. As well as a huge thank you to Mrs Hough and Mr Eltham for assisting on the day and helping us get out on the trails!
Mr Esson,
MTB Coach
Community News
252 ACU - Army Cadets
252 ACU - Army Cadets
Recruiting: Recruiting will commence again in Term 1 next year with further intakes in Term 2 and 3 also. As this is a community unit, we are open to any students (years 8-10 focus) in the Orange region.
Clothing: All cadets need to check their uniforms and boots to ensure they do not need replacement due to wear & tear or growth. Swaps (especially for those going on Course) can be done during Monday parades.
Q Store relocation: A priority in the coming weeks is to relocate the store into the containers. They will become the permanent home of the cadet unit. The move is necessary as the construction of the Trinity building requires the sports shed to move.
January Promotion Courses : All Cadets need to nominate on Cadetnet for the appropriate course. Any rank intending to assist instruct on courses also need to nominate online. The unit has submitted a list of names in priority order. Cadets need to watch for emails on course requirements.
Remembrance Day: On 11 Nov, the unit supported the Orange RSL with a catafalque party commanded by SGT Natasha Baker plus flag attendants at the Robertson Park Cenotaph. Thank you to LT Peter Reid (also playing bagpipes), 2LT Jade O’Neil and 2LT Peter Reid for managing and supervising this event. The unit also supported the OAGS service at 11am with a catafalque party commanded by WO2 Alex Baines.
ADULT Helpers: We are always happy to see any adults with time to volunteer OR even stay on a Monday to see what happens. For the unit to prosper it is important that we continue to find new adult helpers.
Ceremonial Parade – Saturday 30 Nov . This is always an important occasion for the unit. Families and friends are most welcome to attend.
0800am Cadets arrive – dress inspections, set up area and final rehearsals
1030am Parade commences
1120am Parade concludes – light refreshments
1200pm All clear of site
Farewell CAPT (AAC) Nye: The unit will be under a new Officer Commanding after the Ceremonial Parade. It has come time for me to retire and return to Sydney to be with family which will allow my daughter to return to work in 2025 and give me quality time with my first grandchild. I am incredibly proud of what 252 has achieved over the last 6 years and for the future opportunities and possibilities yet to be realised. 252 ACU is so lucky to have committed adult staff from such diverse backgrounds that can share a rich experience of varied life skills with our cadets.
Contact : Email is always the best so we have a trail. Otherwise use the unit phone. Details can be found on the unit website or Facebook page.
Dates for your Diary – no parades in Holiday Break
30 Nov Annual Ceremonial Parade - ALL
30 Nov Annual Dinner –
2 Dec Drones demonstration and simulators by ADF staff
9 Dec Final 2024 Parade
2025 DATES
3-11 Jan 2025 NSW Bde Promotion Courses (HOLSWORTHY) - Selected cadets
3 Feb Staff and Rank ONLY
10 Feb 2025 Monday Parades Commence
July 2025 NSW Bde Promotion Courses (SINGLETON) - Selected cadets
27Sep - 4Oct AFX at Singleton
CAPT (AAC) Terry Nye
Officer Commanding
OAGS Classifieds
Holy Trinity Anglican Orange
Holy Trinity Anglican Orange
Celebrating International Day of People with Disability
Celebrating International Day of People with Disability
Aquatic Carnival will be Celebrating International Day of People with Disability
Date: Tuesday 3 December 2024
Time: 11.00am – 1.00pm
Venue: Orange Aquatic Centre, cnr Hill and Warrendine Streets, Orange
Cost: FREE
Bookings: please phone 6393 8600
Includes free entry, barbecue lunch and games
Orange Mountain Bike Club
Orange Mountain Bike Club
Orange Mountain Bike Club is based in Orange ,NSW.
They organise mountain bike races, they maintain all trials.
They are always looking for volunteers, please contact them if you are interested.